Pune: Rules tighten but demand helps fertility centres grow

Pune: Rising infertility has led to an increase in the number of Artificial Reproductive Technique (ART) centres in the city.

Pune registered only six such centres between 2016-2018. The number rose to 21 between 2019-2021. This year, the PMC has registered at least five new centres already.

Earlier, IVF centres were registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994. But new surrogacy laws passed last year made the opening of a new ART centre more expensive. Existing centres were also told to re-register under the new rules.

Experts said the stricter regulations were unlikely to bring down numbers as demand continues to be high.

Dr Kalpana Baliwant, assistant health officer with the PMC said, “We have been registering IVF centres under the PCPNDT Act since 2015 and in the first year, we registered about 39 ART centres. Their numbers have continued to increase. In the last two years, we have registered 12 centres despite the pandemic and this demand is likely to keep rising.”

Dr Sanjay Gupte, former president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) said, “Earlier, we had only the PCPNDT Act. Now, with the new surrogacy rules in place, the same centres will be asked to re-register. Despite the rise in cost, which the consumer has to bear, demand is rising as infertility is increasing among young couples. We have couples approaching ART centres within a year of marriage,” he said.

Dr Gupte added, “Technically, a person can be declared impotent only after a year of non-protective regular sex. New rules will ensure such centres do not mushroom without regulations. But since demand is high, we’re expecting many more centres in tier 1 and tier 2 cities.”